Young choreographers bring dance into the spotlight

Young choreographers bring dance into the spotlight

Kartika Bagus C., The Jakarta Post, Surakarta

A dancer uttered some Javanese sentences in high pitch.

"Urip iku bisane aweh pepadhang, marang sopo wae sing lagi
nandhang pepeteng, dadi manawa urip ora bisa aweh pepadhang iku
ateges wis mati...." (One is alive to give enlightenment to
anyone who is in trouble; but if one lives and gives nothing to
someone else, this is the same as death...).

The dance performance, taking Kecicir (scattered) as its
theme, was created of 26-year-old choreographer Anggono Kusumo
W., and was staged in late February in Teater Arena, Surakarta
Cultural Park, Surakarta.

The dance piece was one of a number created by six young
choreographers presented as the event "Two Nights with Six Young
Choreographers". The choreographers were Kandhi Wirastuti, with
her piece titled Ruang (Space), Fitri Setyaningsih, with Kali
(River), Putu Deasy Ariastuti, with Nyak (Mother), Ni Kadek Yulia
Puspasari, with Sanghara (a name of a storm) and Bejo Tri Kumara
with Senandung (A Song).

Kecicir dwells on the life of a person losing his self-
identity. He becomes confused amid the egotism of the human
character controlling him. In confusion, he has to face the fact
that he cannot live without other people.

Kecicir was a meaningful creation, receiving rapturous
applause from the audience and was presented artistically. A
piece of cloth was stretched in the middle of the room to
accentuate the red lighting.

Another interesting performance was Ruang, the work of Kandhi
Wirastuti, dance student of Surakarta's Indonesian Arts Institute
(STSI). The piece is about a marginalized world, an alien space
which emerged as a result of a stronger group's or individual's
domination.

Nyak, the creation of a 23-year-old Putu Deasy Ariastuti, was
about a Betawi (indigenous Jakartan) mother figure who is not
only talkative, apprehensive, tearful and weak but also tender,
patient, sincere, compassionate and understanding.

Through their work, the six choreographers tried to interact
with their audience during the two-day show. The choreographers,
who mostly were dancers, showed their enthusiasm through their
work.

STSI's head of dance department, Hari Mulyatno, praised the
choreographers' positive enthusiasm.

"Both the audience and the dancers are enthusiastic in terms
of artistic creation. That's a very good thing. I feel happy
learning that young people are productive and creative in
producing their work," Hari said.

He also saw that the dance performances opened up a new
attraction for the cultural city, which is better known for
traditional performing arts such as wayang (shadow puppet show)
and Javanese drama, ketoprak, which now have reducing audiences.

"But most important of all is the totality in expression, the
continuity in process and also the choreographers' seriousness in
cultivating the art and performing the dance. These are really
great assets," said Hari, who is still actively dancing himself.

The event's coordinator, Djarot B. Darsono, said the event was
aimed at giving young choreographers the opportunity to perform
together, as so far, many of them were paid scant attention.

"They (the choreographers) really possess great potential
because on the one hand they are choreographers, but on the
other, they are also dancers. It's interesting," he said.

Both Hari and Djarot hoped these choreographers would continue
with their work.